National search to find Fenn replacement

A national search for candidates to replace the Cape Cod Commission’s executive director, Margo Fenn, is getting under way, spearheaded by county administrator Mark Zielinski.

A national search for candidates to replace the Cape Cod Commission’s executive director, Margo Fenn, is getting under way, spearheaded by county administrator Mark Zielinski.Fenn, who announced Wednesday she would retire in July, has served as the Cape's regional land use planning and regulatory agency director since 1999, when the County Commissioners appointed her to replace the agency's founding executive director, Armando Carbonell. The executive director is responsible for overseeing the work of a staff of about 40 in planning, regulatory, and technical programs such as transportation, affordable housing, historic preservation, economic development, and water resources. She lives in Harwich.Zielinski said the search for her replacement will include an evaluation of the position description and use of an advanced human resources "benchmarking" process to identify necessary characteristics for candidates. A search committee will be established, he said. Meanwhile, chief planner/deputy director John Lipman will manage the agency. In a statement, Fenn said that while she “ made a personal decision to pursue other aspects of my life, I am confident that the Cape Cod Commission's important work will continue." "Margo has been a dedicated public servant to Cape Cod and we appreciate her commitment and work ethic," County Commissioner Chair Lance Lambros said upon hearing the news. "We've appreciated how responsive Margo has been to all the initiatives required of the Cape Cod Commission, especially as a result of the recent Task Force process. She has redirected the agency to a firm service-oriented track while simultaneously ensuring our responsibility to honor the Cape Cod Commission Act." "Barnstable County is tremendously grateful for all Margo's done," added Vice Chair Mary LeClair. "We will have a big challenge identifying a replacement. It will not be easy to fill her shoes."

BARNSTABLE COUNTY, MA -- At the Barnstable County Commissioners meeting today, Cape Cod Commission Executive Director Margo Fenn announced her plans to retire in mid July 2007. "I have had the great privilege of participating in one of the most meaningful land use planning efforts in the country, and working with both a very talented staff and a diverse and dedicated volunteer board," she said. "While I've made a personal decision to pursue other aspects of my life, I am confident that the Cape Cod Commission's important work will continue." "Margo has been a dedicated public servant to Cape Cod and we appreciate her commitment and work ethic," County Commissioner Chair Lance Lambros said upon hearing the news. "We've appreciated how responsive Margo has been to all the initiatives required of the Cape Cod Commission, especially as a result of the recent Task Force process. She has redirected the agency to a firm service-oriented track while simultaneously ensuring our responsibility to honor the Cape Cod Commission Act." "Barnstable County is tremendously grateful for all Margo's done," added Vice Chair Mary LeClair. "We will have a big challenge identifying a replacement. It will not be easy to fill her shoes." County Commissioner Bill Doherty, a representative on the Cape Cod Commission board as well as a fellow Harwich resident, shared his thoughts about Fenn's plans to retire: "Life is not a rehearsal," he quipped. "Although we will miss her leadership, she has well earned her retirement from public service to the county. We wish her good health and happiness in the next phase of life." Fenn started with the Commission in 1990 as chief planner and was promoted to deputy director in 1992. Before joining the Commission staff in 1990, she served for four years as director of planning and development in the Town of Chatham, Massachusetts; for five years as deputy director of the St. Lawrence County Planning Office in Canton, New York; and for two years as assistant planner in the Teton County Planning Office in Jackson, Wyoming. Fenn has a B.A. in history from Pitzer College (Claremont, California) and an M.A. in environmental planning from the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at UCLA. Under Fenn's leadership, the Cape Cod Commission has worked with Cape communities to protect water quality, ensure adequate transportation, protect open space, provide affordable housing, and preserve the Cape's unique historic character. Highlights include: In collaboration with the Community Working Group, the Commission completed a Master Plan for the Massachusetts Military Reservation, laying the groundwork for the creation of the Water Supply and Wildlife Reserve on the base. Through the creation and administration of the Barnstable County HOME Consortium, the Commission has helped bring in over $9 million in federal funds, aiding in the creation of more than 600 units of affordable housing. The Commission transportation program has helped plan and fund myriad roadway improvements, new transit services such as the Flex Bus service on the lower Cape, as well as creating new bike paths and sidewalks. The water resources program has provided leadership in both protecting drinking water supplies and determining the nutrient limits of the CapeÕs fresh water ponds and coastal estuaries. The Commission's regulatory process has substantially improved the quality of large-scale development on the Cape, ensuring good architectural design, adequate wastewater treatment, and much-needed roadway improvements. The Commission has also overseen the Cape Cod Pathways program, establishing a Cape-wide network of walking trails. Under the County Commissioners' direction, County Administrator Mark Zielinski will organize a national search for Fenn's replacement, which will include evaluation of the position description and use of an advanced human resources "benchmarking" process to identify necessary characteristics for candidates; establishment of a search committee; and publication of advertisements in local and national outlets and professional organizations. Chief Planner/Deputy Director John Lipman, working with the County Commissioners' Office and the executive committee of the Cape Cod Commission, will manage the agency while the county conducts the national search for Fenn's replacement.